He had been diagnosed with a cancerous growth in his kidney and would need surgery to prevent it from spreading.

That could mean an end to his love for coaching his Nottingham High football team.

In July doctors at the University of Pennsylvania performed that surgery that cut away the cancer from Jon’s body, saved his life and started Jon the way to the greatest season in Nottingham football.

Sunday he will receive the Fr. Clarence O’Shea Memorial Coaching Award at the Scottish Rite Hall on Dunns Mill Road in Bordentown where the Golden Wave Club will hold its annual awards breakfast.

Named The Trentonian Sportsperson of the Year for 2012, Adams will receive the top award at the 11 a.m. breakfast with the Fr. Clarence Coaching Award.

For the past 40 years it has been presented to a legendary area coach, and there’s no doubt Adams has the credentials.

He overcame his illness to lead Nottingham to its finest season — an 11-1 record capped by Central Jersey III playoff wins over Manalapan, Long Branch and Neptune to earn the first NJSIAA football playoff title by a Mercer County school since 1989.

Adams, who has coached at Nottingham for 23 seasons, was also unanimous pick as Mercer County Coach of the Year and the Delaware Valley Football Hall of Fame Coach of the Year.

A former all-star tight end/wide receiver at Steinert, who went on to play at Glassboro State College (now Rowan University), Adams has also coached a championship boys track team at Nottingham and was assistant in swimming and later basketball.

The Golden Wave Awards breakfast will also honor coaches who won NJSIAA state titles — which Adams accomplished as did Trenton Catholic Academy girls coach Khaliq Lewis-El.

The Jack Cryan Memorial Award for boys basketball will go to Brian Rivers, a two-time All-CVC star at West Windsor South where he is also the school’s all-time leading scorer.

Marisa Visco, who overcame injury to help lead Lawrence’s girls to the Mercer County Tournament title game and its winningest season ever, will receive the Renee Keister Award for girls basketball.

The Golden Wave Club will also present five $4,000 scholarships to high school seniors who are grandchildren or related to former Trenton Catholic Boys High students. Fr, Clarence was the legendary basketball coach at TC and the Golden Wave Club consists of former TC students.

Two other awards being given are the Fr. Armand Sorrento Tough Guy award to Maurice ‘Mo’ Rossi and the Dave Bookholdt Good Guy award to attorney Chuck Allen.